Performance Analysis of Thin Shell Bends under High Pressure and Temperature

Abstract

Around 70% of the cost in piping industry is spent in the pipe manufacturing with optimum design of pipes without defects. Research on design of pipes has gained importance from the last decade. There are numerous methods being developed to improve the efficiency of piping units considering various parameters. The pipe tends to flatten when they are forced to bend, this geometrical changes has a significant role in the acceptability criteria of pipes. It is necessary to bend pipes in order to transmit liquid or gas from one place to other place. In this work special attention is given to pipe bends because of high stress concentration due to various loading conditions. From several kinds of piping systems, process piping systems are chosen for analysis since pipes used here transport important and hazardous materials. Damage to such piping system can cause serious loss to economy and human lives. The geometrical imperfection associated with bending of pipes is ovality. This degree of ovality determines the acceptance of pipes. Thickening and thinning effects cause additional problems like large plastic deformation and loss of flexibility respectively. Hence estimation of the best degree of ovality is required. In this work effect of ovality is estimated by taking the internal fluid pressure and In plane bending moment into account.